Game-counter.



W. L. DEMING.

GAME COUNTER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 24, 1911.

1,028,935. Patented June 11, 1912.

ELLEN/172' COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHXNGTON, Bic.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. DEMING, OF SALEM, OHIO.

GAME-COUNTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, IVILLIAM L. DEMING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Game-Counters, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a counting device adapted for use in keepingtally with various games, as billiards, pool, bilbola, etc., andparticularly that type of counting device wherein there are a series ofbuttons or counters shiftable along a wire.

Among the objects of the present invention may be mentioned first theprovision of means for supporting, by the table itself, the string orstrings of counters.

A second object is to provide means whereby the support may be shiftedon the table so that it may not be in the way in playing from anyposition.

A third object is to provide for normally holding the device to thetable while allowing its convenient removal whenever desired.

A fourth object is to provide a simple and effective means for lockingand applying proper tension to the supporting wires.

A fifth object is to provide a suitable supplementary counter forkeeping count of thescore when it is in excess of that provided for bythe strings of counters.

The invention comprises the means by which I attain the above objects orany of them, as hereinafter more fully explained and as definitely setout in the claims.

The drawings disclose my invention in an approved form.-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the game counter complete and installedon a billiard table, the upper portion of which is shown in section. Theremaining figures are details. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of theshiftable support for the standard or frame; Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection through such parts; Fig. 4c is a sectional side elevation of aportion of the frame and of one of the string wires at the end thereofwhere the tension is applied; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sameparts; Fig. 6 is a sectional front elevation of the frame at the otherend of the string showing the anchor- Specification of Letters Patent.Application filed June 24, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912. Serial No. 635,200.

age of the string; Fig. 7 is an inside face view of a portion of thelast mentioned standard frame at this point; Fig. 8 is a perspectiveview of a spring plug shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring by numerals to the parts shown, 10 indicates a suitablebilliard or pool table and is to be taken as illustrative of any gametable, 11 indicates the usual elastic cushion and 12 the frame marginoutside of the cushion.

20, in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, indicates a metal plate secured to the marginalframe 12 of the table and overhanging the edge thereof. This plate maybe secured by screws 21 passing into the wooden frame. The plate, at itsouter edge, overhangs the side of the frame as shown. Intermediately theplate is provided with a longitudinal slot 22. Slidably mounted on theplate is a block 25 which has its edge projecting downwardly andinwardly, as shown at 26, to engage the overhanging edge of the plate20. The block is provided with an upwardly facing socket 27 adapted toreceive and be secured to the lower end of a tubular standard or frame30. This tube is a continuous approximately U-shaped member, having itslegs rising from the blocks 25 on opposite sides of the table, firstvertically and then bent outwardly, as at 31, and then again verticallyat 32 and 33, and finally connected intermediately by the horizontalportion 34. The U-shaped frame is normally locked to the plate 20 by thepins 40 within the two legs of the frame extending through openings inthe base of the block 25 into the slot 22. This construction limits themovement of the block 25 to a single path lengthwise of the table, theoverhanging edge 26 preventing it being lifted off of the plate 20. Theblock, with its standard, may be shifted, however, freely lengthwise,the are about the other standard as the center being substantially astraight line for this short distance. This enables the frame to bepushed to one side or the other so as not to be in the way in playing onthe table from such position.

To make the frame easily removable I arrange the pins 1O to stand simplyby gravity in the lower ends of the standards. In this position the pinrests with a lower head 11 thereof on top of the block surface 25, whilethe pin has an upper head 42 standing opposite an opening 36 in the sideof the standard. Accordingly, any small implement inserted through thisopening engaging the under side of the head L2 may lift the pin clear ofthe plate 20 and thereby allow the block to he slid off of such plate toremove the frame.

The counting buttons 50' periodically marked with suitable indicia 51,as is usual, are mounted on wires 52 stretched between the frameportions 82 and 33. There are preferably two strings of counters, onefor each player or side, and the count is kept by shifting the buttonalong the wire from one side to the other, as is customary in this typeof counter. The wires 52 at one end (the left hand end in the drawings)have notches 53 whereby they may seat in the reduced portion of a keyhole slot 37 in the standard 30 after being passed into the tube throughthe larger and upper portion of such slot. After being put in place, thelarger portion of the slot may be plugged by any suitable device as, forexample, the spring metal plug 60. The flattened portion of the wire,together with the parallel sides of the opening it occupies prevent thewire turning, as well as moving longitudinally. Near its other end thewire passes through the portion 82 of the frame and has a tension devicefor keeping it taut. In the form shown, this tension device consists ofa head 65, which the wire rigidly occupies, and which has an externalthread screwing into the internally threaded sleeve 66 which bearsagainst the outer side of the frame and has a knurled exterior by whichit may be conveniently turned. Accordingly, the turning of the sleevetightens or loosens the wire, as desired. 7

The wire 52 is effectively locked to the head 65 by being bent at rightangles, to its main course and snugly occupying a groove 67 in the outerface of the head. I prefer to continue the wire beyond the side of thehead and loop it around, as shown at 68, Fig. 5, and secure the free end69 in the opposite portion of the notch 67. This loop is designed tocarry suitable counters, each indicative of the total string of buttons.Thus, as shown, in each loop 68 are three counting disks, indicated at70. The forward disk is shown as carrying the number 300, the next issupposed to carry the number 200 and the disk behind it 100, and thetotal number of each string is supposed, in this embodiment, to count upto 100. At the start of the play, all three disks 70 are turned up intothe upper portion of the loop 68 with their blank sides visible. Whenthe count on a string has reached 100, the first disk is turned downinto the dependent position Where its numeral 100 is visible and thebuttons are shoved back to j the edge,

the initial position and the count begun again. In this way it isfeasible, by the combination of the buttons and disks, to keep track ofthe count to any desired maximum.

My counting device is neat and attractive in appearance; it has theadvantage over the usual billiard counting strings of being much moresightly in appearance and not marring the wall nor being in the way ofchandeliers, while it may be much more readily observed, the shiftablemounting of the standard enables it to be shoved out of the way wheneverone desires to play at the side of the table immediately adjacent to thestandard; and should there be any abnormal play where still more spaceis desired at that particular portion of the table side, simply raisingthe pin 40 allows the standard to be disconnected altogether from theplate.

Having thus described what I claim is 1. The combination, with a gametable having side rails, of an inverted U-shaped frame having its legsmovably carried by the side rails, and a string of counters carried bysuch frame.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of aninverted U-shaped frame, guides adapted to be stationarily carried,means for establishing a sliding connection between the legs of theframe and such guides, and a string of counters carried by the frame.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination, wit-h a pairof stationary guide plates, blocks slidably mounted thereon, a U-shapedframe having its legs secured to the blocks respectively, a wireextending between the legs of the frame, and shiftable counters strungon such wire.

a. In a game counter, the combination of a stationary guide plate,a-shiftable block riding thereon, a tubular standard rising from saidblock, a counting with the standard, and a locking pin with in thestandard adapted to project into a slot in the guide plate.

5. The combination, with a game table, of a plate secured thereto andoverhanging a block slidably mounted on said plate and formed to extendacross and beneath its outer edge, the plate being longitudinallyslotted, a standard rising from the block, a counting device connectedwith said standard, and a pin carried with the block and adapted toproject into the slot.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a U-shapedtubular frame, a pair of blocks forming feet for the lower ends of thetubular legs, slotted plates on which such feet may ride, pins withinthe tubular legs extending into such slots, the legs having openings toallow access to my invention,

device connected the pins, one or more wires extending across the frame,and shiftable counters on the wire or wires.

7. In a counting device, the combination of an inverted U-shaped frame,shiftably mounted feet for the legs of the frame, stationary devices forguiding the movable feet, a wire extending from one leg of the frameacross the frame and through the opposite leg, means for applyingadjustable tension to the wire, and shiftable buttons mounted on thewire.

8. The combination of a U-shaped frame, a wire secured to one leg of theframe and passing through the other leg, a head on the wire on the outerside of such other leg, a sleeve screw-threaded on the head and abutting the outer side of such leg to apply tension to the wire, andshiftable counters on the wire.

9. The combination of a support, a wire extending through it, counterson the wire on one side of the support, a head on the wire on the otherside of the support, the wire extending through the head and being bentinto the loop, and counting devices carried by the loop.

10. The combination, with a suitable support, of a wire carried therebyand having a series of shiftable counters thereon, a loop adjacent suchwire, and one or more movable counting devices on the loop.

11. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a U-shaped frame, a wire extendlng across the same,shiftable counters on the wire withln the frame, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by

loop carried by the wire beyond the frame, and numbered registeringdevices on the loop.

12. The combination, with a game table, of a counting device carriedthereby comprising a frame of substantially U-shape having its legsrising from the two sides of the table and then bowing outwardly andconnected intermediately above, a pair of wires stretched between thetwo legs of the frame at the outwardly bowed portions and below theintermediate portions, and shiftable counters on such wires.

13. The combination of a wire, a string of counters thereon, a head onthe wire hav ing a transverse groove, the wire extending through thehead and bent transversely to occupy the groove and being formed intothe loop, and one or more counting devices on the loop.

14. The combination, with a frame having two portions spaced apart, awire stretched between such portions, means for holding one end of thewire against rotation, a head on the other end of the wire, the wirebeing formed into a loop at such head, and one or more counting deviceson the loop, such loop being held in the proper position for itscounting devices b means of the hold ing of the other end of the wire.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

XVILLIAM L. DEMING.

Vitnesses:

ALBERT H. BATES, BRENNAN B. Wnsr.

addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. R

